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Gacrux
The Gamma Crucis System, often referred to as simply Gacrux, is a Federal Colony of the UNE whose capitol, the terrestrial planet of Peter-b31, was the fifth to be colonized by Earth in the year 2234. It has two stars, the larger of the two is GC-a, classified as a Red Giant; the smaller is GC-b, a White Dwarf. The system is known for its relative proximity to the Amen-Ra Nebula, making it a prime location for the headquarters of major Handwavium harvesting and refining firms. Heavenly Bodies The notable masses in this system are as follows, beginning with the center of the system and outwards: * Gamma Crucis A- M3 III Red Giant * Gamma Crucis B- DB7 White Dwarf * GCb2t- a non-habitable terrestrial planet orbiting at 8AU with two small moons * Peter-b31- orbits at about 12AU with a period of about 28 Standard Earth Years and no moons * GCb3r- a heavily volcanic rock planet orbiting between 18.5AU and 21AU. * GCb4 Asteroid Belt- a large asteroid belt orbiting at 33AU and extends about another 20AU beyond that. GCb2t This world is relatively uninteresting. There are some small time mining operations on its moons, however. The proximity to the star and GCb2t's lack of a magnetic field make it very difficult to do anything useful here, though. The constant bombardment of heat and radiation are mostly to blame for this. Peter-b31 Peter is one of the very few habitable, terrestrial worlds that are close to Earth-like in quality in all of the Orion Spur! One would expect that not long after its discovery by forager probes, it would begin the long process of colonization. However, due to the large amount of heat and radiation from the solar wind generated by the system's stars as well as the very contrasting temperatures of the equator and poles, it was overlooked. It wasn't until probes reported samples of heavy elements in the Amen-Ra nebula that there was a sudden interest in making Peter into a federal colony. Naturally, it's now the center of population as well as capitol of the Gacrux System. However, due to heavy radiation from GC-a's solar wind, several aspects of the colony's quality of life have had to be adjusted. For instance, farms and food production in general are legally required to be under multi-layered, protective polarized shields that are perpetually suspended in the air. Urban areas are also protected with these shields though it is not uncommon for people to wander outside of covered areas. Despite the adequate levels of protection in place, it is generally seen as a good idea to receive an annual medical check up and wear sunscreen in order to prevent potential illness. While chances of developing cancer are technically greater here, many of Peter-b31's forty two million residents lead happy, normal lives. GCb3r GCb3r, like GCb2t, is near useless dues to its haphazardness environment; unlike its rocky sibling, however, GCb3r is haphazardness because it is bathed in lava. It's orbital path is more on the oblong side, which expands and compresses the planet based on where it is on its orbital path, lending to its heavy volcanism. Its strong iron core gives it a beefy magnetic field, preventing gasses from being swept away by solar wind and allowing it to possess a thick atmosphere. While it is still difficult to study this planet, it is generally accepted that GCb3r is well on its way to become a near fully Earth0like planet in a (relatively, after all these are planets we're talking about) short amount of time. Unknown to any Earth Humans, however, Tarsin starcharts happen to list a world set aside by the Old Coalition meant for colonization within the next few centuries. But if GCb3r is the hallowed planet chosen by the Old Coalition long ago, then why did the choose it over the already habitable Peter? What do they know that we do not? A mystery indeed. GCb4 Asteroid Belt While Gacrux's proximity to Amen-Ra makes it a prime distributor world for refined Tachyon Bubble Drive fuel, Gacrux's second largest industry has to be the mining of its vast asteroid field. At a whopping 20AU +/-2 in width, there is a multitude of space rocks, many of which contain iron, water, gold, and other materials essential for industry. History Prior to Colonization The system's star is one of several core systems' stars that can be seen by the human eye from Earth and as such has been known to humans since antiquity, possibly even earlier. Gacrux is the closest red giant star to Sôl and until the Forager Program, GC-b (Gacrux's white dwarf companion star) was unknown to science. (though the presence of a small companion was speculated by some 21st century astronomers) Colonization Peter-b31 orbits its namesake star at a mean distance of about 12 AU; the reason for this large distance is that Gamma Crucis is a red giant, several times brighter than Earth's home star. The planet was originally overlooked for colonization, due to a good deal of the landmass being glaciated, until a Probe returned with samples from around the end of the western spiral arm of the galaxy, namely the Amen-Ra Nebula, showing promising density of raw materials needed for the synthesis of Handwavium, the fuel for tachyon bubble drives. Gacrux, of its convenient position in the galaxy, was then set to be colonized as a half-way point, if you will, between harvesting rigs and the other colonies. Initial settlement began in 2228, near the equator to save fuel on return trips and to provide refuge from the harsh winter cold of anything above the Tropic of Cancer. Much of the ten year long colonization process took place in orbit as climate engineers worked to fill most of the lower orbit with nantenna panels to generate electricity as well as develop fully autonomous atmospheric shields for more permanent residents to live under. Most of the conditioning process was done by a network of automated drones acting under the supervision of a few human technicians. As climate conditioning progressed, more colonists would arrive, though most are civil engineers and such, so that they might continue to condition the climate. After about six years of work, the planet was finally deemed ready to live on, even though conditioning would continue for another ten years. Floods of people came to Gacrux to live on Peter, many of them young entrepreneurs looking either to enter the Handwavium business or to start small mining companies. Not long after, the shipping industry became huge here, as Peter was the main distributor world for Tachyon Bubble Drive fuel that needed to be delivered to the rest of the colonies. Likewise, due to the system's focus on the fuel and raw materials industries, plus the still somewhat glacial nature of the Peter, farming and manufacturing were in short supply, making the outsourcing of food and consumer goods vital; and who else to get all those things to hungry consumers and back but the plethora of shipping firms themselves? War with the Othaen Federation (Ok, Awe- need your help here.) Currently (This will fall into place last)Category:United Nations of EarthCategory:Unfinished